Faced with Kurenai's question, Kuroto glanced at the four members of the Hokage Guard Platoon, their expressions filled with shock, doubt, and bewilderment. Kuroto nonchalantly shrugged and replied, "Isn't it quite obvious? It's because they are Uchiha!"
Kurenai was startled by Kuroto's response and asked, "Because they are Uchiha?"
Kuroto nodded knowingly. "People seem to forget that Konoha was established jointly by the Senju Clan and the Uchiha Clan... something they worked so hard for. How could they watch it get destroyed?"
Hearing Kuroto's explanation, Kurenai struggled to find words to counter his argument. True, Konohagakure was indeed founded through the collaboration of the Senju and Uchiha Clans. How could the Uchiha watch their own village be destroyed? However, she couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something was amiss with this reasoning. Weren't the Uchiha the ones initiating the coup?
Sighing in resignation, Kurenai decided to keep her thoughts to herself. No matter how hard she pondered the situation, she couldn't unravel its complexities. It seemed best to remain silent and let events unfold. Based on what she had witnessed, it appeared that Kuroto had everything under control. All she and the rest of the team needed to do was follow his instructions, and everything would be fine.
The other three members of the Hokage Guard Platoon reached the same conclusion as Kurenai and refrained from further questioning. They, too, realized the importance of the situation before them.
Observing that the four members of the platoon had accepted the reality presented to them, Kuroto nodded approvingly. "Very good," he said sternly. "Whatever transpired tonight... it is of utmost importance. No matter what, none of you are allowed to speak about it or inform anyone, including the Elders. Understood?"
Yui's sudden arrival and the subsequent revelations had caught Kuroto off guard. They had stumbled upon information they should not have known. Fortunately, as Hokage, Kuroto's words carried absolute authority. He made it clear that they must keep silent about everything they had seen and heard that day.
The four members genuflected in obedience and nodded in unison. "Yes!"
Only moments ago, they had been filled with worry about Konoha's precarious situation. Despite their trust in Kuroto's abilities, they doubted his capability to handle the impending Uchiha Clan coup. They had questioned whether Konoha possessed sufficient power to counter the forces led by Uchiha Fugaku. Uchiha Shisui, the strongest shinobi among the Five Great Nations is more than capable of defeating almost everyone save for Kakashi on their side. And with the combined might of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shinichi, it would be a disastrous scenario.
However, witnessing the scene unfold earlier had shattered their doubts. They realized that the entire situation was well within Kuroto's control. What had appeared as an impending storm to them was nothing more than a minor disturbance for Kuroto. Not only was he untroubled by the looming Uchiha Clan coup, but he was also willing to stir up the waters to expose an even greater threat to the village.
This revelation deepened their admiration for Kuroto as the Godaime Hokage.
Seeing that Kurenai and the others' doubts were evident, Kuroto issued a command, "You may leave now!"
The four of them nodded in understanding and promptly exited Kuroto's house, returning to the yard where they stood guard.
Now that Kuroto and Yui were alone, she couldn't help but wear a puzzled expression as she questioned, "Kuroto-kun... why are you keeping this matter hidden from Tsunade-sama and the other Elders? They are extremely concerned about the Uchiha coup."
"This whole mess was instigated by them in the first place! I can't allow them to breathe easy so readily," Kuroto muttered, his tone filled with disdain. He further explained, "Moreover, they've had ample opportunities to resolve this issue in the past few years, yet their deep-seated distrust of the Uchiha Clan persists. Even if I were to inform them, they wouldn't readily accept everything. It would likely complicate the situation further and put the Uchiha at risk. I won't allow that... not on my watch."
Hearing his declaration to protect the Uchiha Clan, Yui couldn't help but look at Kuroto with adoration. She voiced her thoughts, saying, "I believe... choosing you as Hokage was the right decision... especially during these troubled times, you are undoubtedly the best candidate for Hokage."
Kuroto chuckled as he removed his Hokage Haori. "I am merely a replacement and their last resort since they had no other options... Kakashi was meant to become the Godaime Hokage. My role was solely to eliminate Shisui... even now, Kakashi remains their first choice. I am just filling in for him."
Yui shook her head and remarked, "But Kakashi-san lost..."
Kuroto nodded. "Kakashi lost a battle he shouldn't have lost, and they were unwilling to place their trust in my abilities. They deliberately humiliated the Uchiha Clan before the entire village, leading to the situation we face now."
Yui smiled and said, "Whatever happens, happens for a reason," then added, "Perhaps this is the will of Kami-Sama. In these troubled times, we need someone like you. The village truly needed someone who harbors no distrust towards the Uchiha Clan. I believe you will be able to unite the village in a way no one else can. I don't care what others think of you. In my opinion, you will be the best Hokage Konoha has ever seen or will see in the future."
Observing Yui's unwavering trust, Kuroto smiled. "If you have that much faith in me, then I must put in the effort to become a good Hokage. I can't afford to let your trust go astray, can I?"
"Of course, you have to ensure that, I don't want Izumi-chan to suffer, she is already going through so much," Yui nodded, folding her hands.
Kuroto acknowledged, "All right, I will make sure to live up to your expectations," he then rubbed his chin thoughtfully and mumbled, "Although I suppose I will need to charge some labor fees."
"La… Labor fees?" Yui muttered, her expression reflecting confusion.
Kuroto took a seat and nodded, "Yes, I plan to outsource the counter-insurgency work."
Yui was taken aback. "Eh? Kuroto-kun, you are the Hokage. How can you outsource the counter-insurgency work? Wouldn't that be a bit..."
"Precisely because I am the Hokage, I must employ all possible means," Kuroto muttered with a mischievous grin.
Hearing Kuroto's reasoning, Yui interjected, "But haven't Itachi-san, Shisui-san, and Shinichi-san expressed their loyalty to you? With their support, you would be able to handle the coup quite easily... so why the need for outsourcing? I don't think it's a good idea to rely on outside forces; this may complicate things in the future."
"Don't worry, I'm only doing what's necessary," Kuroto responded, his expression dissatisfied. "Think about it yourself. If the coup were to occur, there would be significant casualties and heavy losses in terms of people and property. I am resolving the entire problem with minimal damage at a minimal price by Outsourcing. So, naturally, I deserve some compensation, don't I?"
Although Kuroto had become Hokage, much of the political power still rested in the hands of the Elders. While Kuroto didn't particularly care about political power, he was unhappy that even the village's financial power was under the control of the Elder Council. This limitation prevented him from allocating a secret budget for his personal research.
Hence, he planned to outsource the counter-insurgency work to gain what was rightfully his.
"You do make sense, but..." Yui trailed off, wearing a troubled expression. She sighed and finally relented, "Sigh, whatever. Just don't go overboard."
"I won't," Kuroto assured her with a grin.
...
The next day, in the Hokage's office, Kakashi exclaimed in amazement, "What? The Homusubi of Amatsukami approached you. What did they say?"
Kakashi's astonishment was shared by everyone in the office, including Elder Hiruzen, Elder Koharu, Tsunade-hime, Jiraiya, and even Yui. They looked at Kuroto with surprise.
While Yui knew that Kuroto intended to outsource the counter-insurgency work, she had never expected him to rely on the members of Amatsukami. For a brief moment, she pondered, 'Does Kuroto-kun have some connection to Amatsukami?' She had spent the previous night at Kuroto's home, so it seemed odd that Homusubi met with Kuroto without her noticing. Neither Kurenai nor the others had mentioned anything about it, either.
Lost in her thoughts, Yui listened as Kuroto continued, "Those guys want to meddle in the village's affairs."
Elder Hiruzen inquired, "What are they trying to achieve?"
Kuroto replied, "They appear to be aware of the Uchiha's planned coup... and they offered their assistance in resolving the issue if we so desire."
Elder Hiruzen contemplated the proposition and asked, "And what was your response?"
"How could I agree to such an unreasonable request?" Kuroto snorted. He surveyed everyone's expressions and added, "Furthermore, the price they are demanding to deal with this issue is exorbitant. They want 300 million Ryo... isn't that absurd?"
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